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Bible Questions Answered:
“What did Jesus
mean when he said we should become as a child?...”
Caley/ Cleveland,
Ohio U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
He meant we should
be child like, not childish.
Childlike:
Ingenuous (innocent and
unsuspecting), simple, guileless (without deception) , trusting,
innocent.
The Apostle Paul admonished spiritual maturity.
I Corinthians
13:11 KJV
When I was a
child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Ephesians
4:11-16 KJV
11 And He gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
12 For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
The Son Of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ:
14 That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking
The Truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is The
Head, even Christ:
16 From whom
the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying
of itself in love.
Hebrews 5:12 KJV
For when for
the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you
again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
We Are God's Children:
Psalm 103:13 KJV
Like as a
father pitieth his children, so The Lord pitieth them that fear Him.
Isaiah 49:15 NLT
"...Can a
mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child
she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget
you!
Isaiah 66:13 NLT
I will comfort
you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.”
Jeremiah 31:20
NLT
“Is not
Israel still My son, My darling child?” says The Lord. “I often
have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him
and surely will have mercy on him.
Hosea 11:1-4 NLT (The Lord’s Love for Israel)
1 “When
Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called My son out of Egypt.
2 But the more
I called to him, the farther he moved from Me, offering sacrifices to
the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.
3 I Myself
taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he
doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him.
4 I led Israel
along with My ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his
neck, and I Myself stooped to feed him.
Romans 8:14-17
KJV
14 For as many
as are led by The Spirit Of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received The Spirit Of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God:
17 And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if
so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together.
Galatians 4:1-7
KJV
1 Now I say,
That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a
servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under
tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we,
when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the
world:
4 But when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a
woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons.
6 And because
ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit Of His Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore
thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ.
Childlikeness
(Spiritual):
Matthew 18:1-6
NLT
1 About that
time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus called
a little child to Him and put the child among them.
3 Then He said,
“I tell you The Truth, unless you turn from your sins and become
like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 “And anyone
who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me.
6 But if you
cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it
would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your
neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Mark 9:36,37 KJV
36 And He took
a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him
in His arms, He said unto them,
37 Whosoever
shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me: and
whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me.
Mark 10:13-16
KJV
13 And they
brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His
disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when
Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer
(permit) the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say
unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And He took
them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.
Luke 18:15-17 NLT (Jesus Blesses the Children)
15 One day some
parents brought their little children to Jesus so He could touch and
bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents
for bothering Him.
16 Then Jesus
called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the
children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God
belongs to those who are like these children.
17 I tell you
The Truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a
child will never enter it.”
Ephesians 5:1,2
NLT
1 Imitate God,
therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.
2 Live a life
filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and
offered Himself as a Sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
I Peter 1:14-16
NLT
14 So you must
live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old
ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any
better then.
15 But now you
must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
16 For the
Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”[
I Peter 2:1-3
KJV
1 So get rid of
all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and
all unkind speech.
2 Like newborn
babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into
a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,
3 now that you
have had a taste of The Lord’s kindness.
Childlike
Qualities, To Be Found In The Lives Of God's Children:
Humility:
Philippians
2:3-11 NLT
3 Don’t be
selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others
as better than yourselves.
4 Don’t look
out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have
the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though He was
God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
7 Instead, He
gave up His Divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When He
appeared in human form,
8 He humbled
Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore,
God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name
above all other names,
10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
11 and every
tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God The
Father.
James 4:6 KJV
But He giveth
more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto the humble.
Innocence:
Matthew 19:13,14
KJV
13 Then were
there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands
on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus
said, Suffer (permit) little children, and forbid them not, to come
unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 10:21 NLT
At that same
time Jesus was filled with the joy of The Holy Spirit, and He said,
“O Father, Lord Of Heaven And Earth, thank you for hiding these
things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for
revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it
this way.
Submissiveness:
Luke 22:42 KJV
Saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My
will, but thine, be done.
Romans 12:2 NLT
Don’t copy
the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn
to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
I Peter 1:14 NLT
So you must
live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old
ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any
better then.
Trust:
Psalm 131:2 NLT
Instead, I have
calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries
for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within
me.
Matthew 6:33 KJV
But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you.
Hebrews 13:5,6
NLT
5 Don’t love
money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never
fail you. I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say
with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear..."
Imitation
(Godly):
Ephesians 5:1,2
KJV
1 Be ye
therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.
I John 3:10 NLT
So now we can
tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil.
Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other
believers does not belong to God.
Prayer:
John 1:12,13 NLT
12 But to all who believed Him and
accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn—not with a
physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that
comes from God.
John 3:3,16,17,36 KJV
3
Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus),
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.
16 For God so loved the world, that
He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting Life.
17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.
17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.
36
He that believeth on The Son hath everlasting Life: and he that
believeth not The Son shall not see Life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him.
